The Woodward at the Ames Hotel

Hotel restaurants usually have decent food, but the Woodward at the Ames hotel was a great treat. It’s definitely a trendy place to be seen in. Men in suits stand in clusters, while women in high heels stand in clusters, and after about 30 minutes of glimpsing at each other, they converge for the night. A group of us stopped by for some snacks, and I was so happy with the recommendation as I am just discovering what Boston is all about.

We started with the crisp pork belly on a cheddar biscuit with apple compote and picked cherry peppers, which probably was my favorite dish of the night. The pork belly, while obviously fatty, melted on my tongue, and who can say ‘no’ to a cheddar biscuit, besides a masochist? I wish we had more of it to eat.

Next was the short rib tortellini with Madeira (a wine) and truffle butter. Obviously it smelled delicious because of the truffle butter. It was a clean and tasty dish that we all took extra helpings of it. The appetizer portion is tiny, so if you are sharing, make sure to get more than one order of it.

House-smoked veal pastrami with whole grain mustard and organic rye bread. It was good, but too lean. I always enjoy pastrami with a touch of fat and growing up in New York City, you can get picky about what good pastrami is.

Duck confit flatbread with goat cheese and dried cranberries. This was a great dish and I was gobbling up all of the duck. Duck confit is a favorite of mine and I was so happy when the table ordered this.

If you are looking to head somewhere where you know you will enjoy your food, this is one restaurant you will want to make a reservation at and head down to.